Virginia man charged with murdering his wife and another man, nearly a year after au pair was charged

A Virginia man has been charged with killing his wife and another man in the couple's Fairfax County home, authorities said Monday, nearly a year after the family's au pair was charged in the case.

A grand jury has indicted Brendan Banfield on one count of aggravated murder in the February 2023 deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, according to an arrest warrant filed in Fairfax District Court. Banfield was also charged with one count of aggravated use of a firearm.

Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference that Banfield was arrested while driving in Fairfax County and that authorities searched his home on Monday. An attorney for Banfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Banfield's arrest came nearly a year after Juliana Peres Magalhães, an au pair who was caring for the Banfields' daughter, was charged with first-degree murder of Ryan, but not Christine Banfield, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported. Magalhães is scheduled to go on trial in that case in November.

“The fact that we have filed charges against Brendan today and made this arrest does not mean that her case will be dismissed,” said Fairfax County Prosecutor Steve Descano. “We intend to proceed with the case as planned.”

WUSA-TV released a video showing Banfield, handcuffed, being led into a police vehicle outside the Fairfax County Public Safety Headquarters.

On the day of the murders, authorities said, Magalhães called 911 at least twice within a matter of minutes, but ended the calls before speaking to emergency responders. More than 10 minutes later, authorities testified in court, Magalhães called 911 one last time to report the emergency. Brendan Banfield then spoke into the phone and said he shot a man for stabbing his wife.

Authorities soon arrived at the Banfields' home in Herndon, Virginia, and found that Ryan had been fatally shot and Christine Banfield had suffered stab wounds. She was taken to the hospital, where she died.

According to affidavits, Magalhães told authorities she and Brendan Banfield left the house early in the morning, leaving Christine Banfield home alone. Magalhães said she and Brendan Banfield returned later that morning.

When Magalhães and Brendan Banfield went inside, the two found Ryan holding a knife to Christine Banfield's throat, Magalhães said. She claimed Ryan stabbed Christine Banfield and Brendan Banfield then shot Ryan. Magalhães also told authorities she shot Ryan once with a second firearm.

Earlier this year, Assistant District Attorney Eric Clingan released documents showing that Magalhães and Brendan Banfield visited a gun range in Ashburn, Virginia, two months before the shooting, WUSA-TV reported. A few weeks later, Clingan said, Brendan Banfield also purchased a gun that was eventually used to shoot Ryan.

Authorities have said the murders were part of a larger plot between Magalhães and Brendan Banfield, who reportedly began a romantic relationship in the months before the murders. At Magalhães' trial, prosecutors questioned her account of events, saying Ryan was not known to be violent. Prosecutors have also said Magalhães and Brendan Banfield continued their romantic relationship after the double murder.

Ryan's mother, Deirdre, told WUSA-TV on Monday that she was grateful charges were filed.

Prosecutor Descano said Banfield will be arraigned later this week. He was being held without bail in the Fairfax County Jail.

Banfield is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a crime, even though only two people were killed on this day in 2023, WUSA-TV reported.

“The reason we did that is because it's very legalistic and technical, but essentially what it boils down to is that in the aggravated murder statute, there are a number of different ways to prove that. When we looked at what we want to present at trial, we believed that our evidence could potentially cover both of those different subsection elements,” Descano said.

“We wanted to be sure that the jury had every opportunity to examine the evidence,” Descano added.